Illinois 77, Belmont 51

After a close first half, the Illini used a 13-4 run early in the second half to pull away from a stubborn and talented Belmont team on Sunday at Assembly Hall in Champaign. When it was all done, the Illini had a 77-51 victory going away. Both coaches credited tough Illini defense in the second half as the difference in this one.

Warren Carter had another strong game with 21 points and 5 rebounds. Chester Frazier contributed eleven - yes, eleven! - rebounds to lead the Illini (10-2 overall, 0-0 in the Big Ten). Shaun Pruitt added 13 points and 4 boards and Brian Randle totaled 10 and 4, respectively.

The one sore spot for the Illini in this game: turnovers. Belmont, somehow, forced a season-high 22 Illini turnovers. This statistic doesn't bode well for Tuesday's Braggin' Rights Game in Saint Louis against Missouri's chaotic "40 Minutes of Hell": The Illini must take care of the basketball against the much-improved Tigers or they will suffer a defeat.

Shane Dansby came off the bench to lead Belmont (7-3, 2-0 Atlantic Sun Conference) with 13 points, while center Boomer Herndon added a team-high six rebounds for the Bruins.

My personal opinion: This Belmont team will be in the 2007 NCAA Tournament. They were in it last year. They're very disciplined and they've got a lineup full of shooters.

Up next: versus Missouri in the annual Busch Braggin' Rights Game at the Scottrade Center in Saint Louis, MO on Tuesday, December 19 at 8 PM. It should be another wild affair under the Gateway Arch.

Illinois 77, Belmont 51